Dog Tags that Bind
by TigreMalabarista
Summary: The Greenguys chose Bill to be Ralphs partner. In quiet moment with Ralph's goddaughter Aidan, one finds out there may be a reason as the connections between Bill and Ralph extend back farther then either Ralph or Aidan knew.


The Greenguys chose Bill to be Ralphs partner. In quiet moment with Ralph's goddaughter Aidan, one finds out there may be a reason as the connections between Bill and Ralph extend back farther then either Ralph or Aidan knew. Set after my story "Path We Choose," but before Csunwriter's "Blackout" series.

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"I wouldn't do that..."

"But it looks ready to - Ouch!"

"Put your fingers under water, and let me get some ice," said Aidan as she hurried to the refrigerator to get a bowl of ice for her friend, self-proclaimed, and in her opinion adopted Great-Uncle Bill Maxwell.

He had come to visit for the day to learn how to make glass beads. The retired agent had been mesmerized at the detailed work his "great-niece" had created in the artwork at an art show, so he asked if he could learn. Aidan readily agreed, not only to see him try his hand at the work, but to have a nice visit - providing her teammate - Tony Villacana, didn't come in wanting her to help him on a case.

Thankfully for her - the "magic jammies," passed down to her by the green guys from her godfather Ralph, was so far taking a holiday.

The agent sighed in relief as the cold water ran over his fingers. "Sheesh, there goes about 20 layers of skin there. Why didn't ya tell me that the glass was hot? It looked cool."

Aidan chuckled. "I did warn you that it would look like it had cooled down but it'd still be hot," she said. "Besides, it was still under the mat, a still warm mat, which means it has a few minutes left. Now, let me see your fingers..."

The agent showed her his reddening fingertips, shrugging. "Eh, they're getting better," he said, and grabbed the ice bowl from Aidan. Dipping his fingers in the bowl, he sighed in relief even further. "Thanks Artie."

"You're welcome - just glad you didn't pull an 'Aidan Hinkley' and grab the ring mandrel instead. Wound up with blisters right on the fingertips. Hurt to write for a week even after they healed," she said.

The agent nodded. "Yeah, could've been worse. Could've been some of the stuff you and Ralph have dealt with in the suit - but me, no protection," he said, and paused thinking.

Aidan nodded. She knew all too well the bruises, head injuries and other issues while wearing the suit. She even knew what it was like to be shot - with and without the suit on.

However, it was the next phrase said by Bill could be seen as reading her mind.

"Just like Korea when I was shot in the lung..."

"Shot?" Aidan looked at him, her interest piqued. "Ralph mentioned you got shot a couple of times when he wore the suit, but not Korea. I didn't know you were wounded there."

She knew Bill served in the Army as part of the Armored Division, but not much about his time overseas.

In fact, the only time she recalled hearing any story about Bill's days in the actual Korean war was one Ralph shared that he gleaned from a pentathol drugged Bill Maxwell during a case many years ago.

Aidan hadn't quite believed the story, if only because Ralph went on to mention how the agent slid down a banister then tried to sing "The Star Spangled Banner" to the tune of "America the Beautiful" under the influence of the drug. Bill, who overheard Ralph's story then, was embarrassed at his "big fish" story that he didn't talk much about that day - let alone the any war story - afterward.

While he usually didn't talk about the forgotten war to Aidan - and even barely to her godparents, Bill would be found on occasion at the Veterans of Foreign Wars sharing stories with his fellow veterans. Aidan had seen him perform in a flag ceremony at one of the Veterans Day celebrations for the VFW.

In the past couple of years, Bill was selected to be one of the first veterans on the Honor Flights for Korean veterans. The stores he shared about his trip to Washington, D.C. visiting the memorials, including the World War II one he helped pitch in money to build, were the highlight of a rather small Hinkley Christmas dinner.

The agent nodded, remembering that time. "Yeah..." he said, looking at the young woman. Pulling out a set of dog tags, he continued. "All right, I didn't come here just to burn my fingers and learn glass beads Aidan. I wanted ta tell ya a story about that time... the correct one, not what the Kid heard that day I got doped by some thugs. I've wanted to tell ya for some time, but that wreck of yours got in the way."

The young woman nodded, remembering the month she stayed in the hospital after a near-fatal wreck just that past fall.

"But I figured with the Kid and Counselor away on vacation, this was as good of time as any. Hopefully Villacana won't buttin' in to tell ya to hit the silk until sometime after I get to tell it," said Bill, handing her the dog tags. "In fact, this story might even be something ya find really fascinating."

Instead of the usual two copies needed, there were three. Two of them had "Maxwell, William H." stamped in simple typewriter font on aluminum.

The other was a bit surprising. It was newer, and obviously not a tag you would get in the military but instead clearly engraved from an engraving machine.

The name on it however was the bigger surprise.

"Hinkley, Cliff R. Rank: Major," said Aidan. "M*A*S*H 8055, Korea, August 1953." She looked up at Bill in confusion. "As in my Great-Uncle Cliff?" She knew about her Great Uncle Major Cliff Hinkley, who served in Korea in one of the M*A*S*H units as a doctor, but not that Bill had known him. She wasn't even sure that Ralph knew.

The retired agent leaned against the kitchen bar, nodded. "Yeah, I met him back during the Korean conflict, but not the way I'd wanted to," he said and noticing Aidan's confused look continued. "Of course, you're probably now wondering why Ralph hadn't said anything ta ya about me knowing his uncle fought with me in the war. To be honest even *I* didn't make the connection until about 16 years after I was teamed up with him by the ... green guys ... when the major, well by then retired colonel, died. Saw his picture in the obituaries and he was the spittin' image of Ralph in his earlier days... well except his curls were close cropped to his head and slicked down."

Bill walked over to the couch and sat down. "Plus when I found out it wasn't too long after your run-in with that Quinton creep and the homecoming kidnapping. Forgot about it then, adding to it all the scenarios we've been on, really hadn't thought about it until I saw that 'M*A*S*H' episode a couple of weeks ago," he said.

"'M*A*S*H'?"

"Yeah, in particular where Hawkeye has to go to the front in a Santa costume. One of the actors playing a kid in the foxhole looked exactly like Ralph. Brought the memories back faster that that bead burned my finger off."

The young woman nodded as she also sat down on the couch. She had seen many service photos of Cliff from his time in the military, even remembering the first time he came to her school for Career Day. A couple of the teachers actually called Cliff "Ralph" - in spite of him being about 20 years older than his nephew.

Bill's voice broke her out of her thoughts. "It was a bad day that August 1953 - we were hit hard by the North Koreans and I caught the bullet. Don't remember a whole lot of the day except how painful it was ta be shot in the lung. A medic came and did his mumbo-jumbo until the choppers came. Those things were so damned loud they make rush hour traffic sound quiet.

"I was in and out most of that trip but we landed at the M*A*S*H and were taken to triage. I remember a major with the same gold curls and blue eyes as Ralph's as he checked my wounds. It was hard to breathe - didn't know my lung was trying to collapse. He was the one Ralph talked about who gave me that 'wonderful shot' so I couldn't feel anything - which was good 'cause he basically punched a hole in me..."

Aidan made a face at the rather crass tone he used for re-inflating a collapsed lung, but realized after all those years it was a strong reminder of that day he could've died. She was however glad that at least part of the version Ralph told her was correct.

The retired agent could see his adopted grand-niece pale a bit and put a hand up. "Well, I won't go into much detail anymore so I don't make ya sick Artie, but I will remember it was a long time in that place sweating bullets as I healed up. Remember the food being so bad at times I craved MRE's - canned taste and all. I also remember the few nurses there - and will tell you though that Nurse Kellye from the old TV series was a lot alike those who you normally saw, looks and attitude - well mostly. Sometimes it was that Hooligan character..."

"Houlihan," Aidan corrected, chuckling.

"Well, she did act like a hooligan at times ya know," he said miffed, but then chuckled. "Still, your great-uncle however came by on many occasions ta check up on me and make sure I was healing up well. Heck, one day he even brought a bunch of National Geographics for me to see..." he said, then blushed, "Well, uh, for all buildings and countries of course..."

Aidan shook her head "I'm sure," she ribbed. She wasn't fooled by his posturing - she had watched old episodes of the TV series based on those hospitals and the jokes about said magazine. Then again, she had read a few of them herself so she could get the joke.

"OK, ya got me. Still, hadn't forgotten that time in the M*A*S*H, or the major who saved my life. He's the reason I had those crazy - but memorable times - with Ralph and Pam, yes I do call her that sometimes Aidan, and then later on with you and Villacana after the green guys gave you the suit. I think that's why I have always watched out for the Kid when he wore the suit, even now retired from the duties. He protected me like Cliff did and I protected him."

He got up to look out the window. There wasn't a whole lot to see ground level, but the trees and other flora in the distance drew his attention. It brought him back to late October that year when Aidan nearly died in the car wreck - and would have if the green guys didn't heal her most critical of injuries.

The stories he heard from Tony about how Aidan looked, how the medics rushed to rescue and stabilize her then seeing the LifeFlite bring her to Army Regional Medical Center brought him back to the hills in Korea. He heard the helicopters fly overhead many times during his time serving there, and knew many of those flying on the sides of the 'choppers were seriously hurt ... or worse.

Bill sighed, clearing his thoughts. "I think it's also why I was even more protective of ya when you had ta deal with those jackass nitwits on your dad's side of the family when ya were younger. When they gave ya a colder shoulder than Carlisle's bust record, it's why I wanted to be a 'great uncle' when you moved in with your godparents at 9. Of course, now I have ta keep an eye on ya with the suit, but just remember even this 'old geezer' as Villacana calls me will be there to protect ya as much as I can," he said, and looking at his fingers in the bowl of ice, chortled. "Well, except for glass beads apparently... you're on your own."

He then turned to his adopted grandniece and smiled. "Just remember Artie, every thing you do has an impact on others they won't forget, just like your Great Uncle Cliff did for me - even if it took nearly 45 years to remember his name," he said as he got up and walked over to the recliner to pick up a jacket. He then came back and handed the item to her. "Now, for the other part of my visit - besides teaching me to blister my fingers... I want ya to have this kid."

Aidan took a closer look at the jacket. She had seen it many times before - it was his favorite jacket, filled with military patches and lettering. There wasn't a time she saw him at events without it growing up, even wearing it one time in 90 degree weather to a soccer match.

"Your military patch jacket? Bill, I can't - "

Bill waved her off. "Artie, while I plan to live for a long time yet, I know I ain't as young as I used ta be. I figure this way I know it and the dog tags go to the right person," he said. "It's a part of your family, and I wish I had made the connection some time before the green guys essentially made Ralph and me meet, because I'd shared the story with him a long time ago. Now, you have all of them to share."

He then turned around to the kitchen where the beads had been annealing. Feeling the fiber mat used to anneal the beads was finally cold, he lifted up the material. He saw many beads there, but the one he made stood out. It was lumpy in places, with clashing colors and pieces of millefiori and dichronic glass placed haphazardly.

Aidan peeked around and smiled. "Looks great Bill," she said. "If you keep it up, you can teach my class for me."

The retired agent chuckled. "Eh, I'm too old for that drivel, but I do appreciate the compliment Artie," he said as he turned to the living room. "I need to head out, but it's been fun telling you the story of the Major - well Colonel - again."

The young woman chuckled. "Yes, it was. Thank you Bill," she said, giving him a hug and kiss on the cheek.

The agent blushed slightly and headed to the door. He paused, remembering one more thing. "Oh, and one tip from me Artie - and this is courtesy of stories from the Kid about wearing my fishing hat while he was wearing the suit. DON'T wear the coat I gave ya with the suit on..."

"Why?"

"Well... I think the vibes from scenarios I had with your godparents over the years will short circuit the suit." He said. "See you later Aidan, and be sure to tell your godparents I said hi when they come back from vacation. Love you sweetheart."

"Will do. Love you Bill," she said.

After Bill left, she sat down and looked at the dog tags and military jacket again. They were well taken care of, even so many years after the war. She carefully placed the jacket on her coat rack and put the dog tags on the hook next to it, then walked over to the kitchen table. She carefully removed Bill's bead from the mandrel and looked at it. The bead was a perfect tale of Bill - rough and a mix of stories and truths, but still unique.

She fixed the bead to where it could be worn around her neck - there was no way she'd let anyone have the first bead her "great-uncle" made and then smiled. "You know, I need to learn more about my great-uncle Cliff so I can tell Ralph and Pam the story Bill told me," she said, and after making sure she cleaned up her project for the day, went over to the computer to do research. After all, Bill just helped her expand her family further - not just personal, but how Bill really did connect with his family, long before the magic jammies.


End file.
